Operation Payback is a new Counter-Strike: Global Offensive promotion from Valve to compensate prominent map makers, running from now until July 31 on Steam. Seven of the top-voted maps are gathered here, playable on dedicated servers through the purchase of a pass on sale now for $3, normally $6.

Purchasing a pass not only gives you access to these maps on official servers, it also allows you to drag your friends without passes along into Operation Payback matches. Or you can simply leave them to their Super Mareo Bruhs.

We're not sure how the revenue-sharing aspect of Operation Payback breaks down, so we've inquired with Valve for the necessary info. Valve says Operation Payback is the first in "an ongoing series of limited-time updates."

April 25, 2013 - Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Counter-Strike, Half-Life, Left 4 Dead, Portal, and Team Fortress) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced the release of "Operation Payback", the first of an ongoing series of limited-time updates aimed at giving a well-earned financial reward to some of CS:GO's most popular and prolific mapmakers.

Available from now until July 31st, 2013, "Operation Payback" is a collection of seven top-voted Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) community maps hosted on official servers and available to play with the purchase of a pass. Since its launch in February, the CS:GO Maps Workshop has amassed over 1,400 community-made maps. "Operation Payback" offers the CS:GO community a chance to play seven of the highest-voted Workshop Maps through the uninterrupted low-ping play of official servers - all while rewarding the makers of CS:GO's top-rated virtual maps with real money. Buying a pass also lets players bring their friends along to any "Operation Payback" match. Contributors will also get to show off their support with a one-of-a-kind challenge coin, upgradable by playing and viewable wherever their avatars are shown. For a limited time players can buy a pass for only $2.99 (USD).

CS:GO is the latest expansion of the team-based multiplayer Counter-Strike franchise. Since its initial release in Fall of 1999, Counter-Strike has become the number one played online action game, surpassing all commercial and noncommercial titles in its class. For more information about CS:GO and "Operation Payback", please visit http://blog.counter-strike.net/operationpayback/. For more information about the CS:GO Maps Workshop, please visit http://blog.counter-strike.net/workshop/.